Psych
by Niftu Cal
Summary: A self-insert into the Mass Effect universe. How could someone know what was going to happen before it did? Based roughly off the hit-t.v. show, Psych. Postponed until I get better at writing. Plenty of ideas, but can't get them out right.
1. Chapter 1

**A self-insert into the Mass Effect universe. Inspired by the hit t.v. show _Psych_. Feel free to comment. Comments can feel like a pain to write, but it's encouraging to see people leave them, whether they are good or bad. At least it means people are reading the story.**

**Part One: Chapter One**

**...**

I jingle the key in the bike lock, biting back on my impatience. _'C'mon, give me something to work with…YES!' _Finally it turns, opening the lock and freeing my bike. Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I set off at a brisk pace, enjoying the cool autumn air as it whips past my face. The twilight sky still has a faint tint of light on the western horizon, while a black star-studded curtain slowly creeps in from the east. It's 6:45 at night and I already can't wait for dinner. The ride back from the campus library is a short one, so instead of rushing back I take the time to savor the smells, the air, and the scenery. There's no one else around, which may be odd, but then it is a Friday night. Most people are probably getting a head start on their soon-to-be hangovers. I ride past the campus bookstore, turning to my right to admire the glowing blue fountain…

Suddenly the oddity of the sight hits me and I hit my brakes. I look back at the fountain, not truly believing what I am seeing. The fountain had always caught my eye for its design; the centerpiece is a large, tangled structure that looks like it was made of fire or undersea coral. But now in the center of the branches there is a bizarre sight. A cool blue light pulsates gently, sending out gentle waves of light. I cautiously go over and lean my bike against the nearby benches. I walk towards the fountain, gazing in awe but unable to move. The light is beautiful; I feel compelled to touch it without understanding why. Part of my mind, the sane part, is telling me to turn around and run, but my body wasn't cooperating. I stepped into the fountain without much thought, my eyes captivated by the light. It felt like there was something hidden in there, something I couldn't quite see. I could swear I heard voices emanating from the orb. I stretched out my hand slowly, not sure what to expect. My fingers past into the glow, slowly reaching towards its bright core.

Suddenly, everything changed. The light began to shine blindingly bright, until I had to turn my face away. I heard a sound like the howling of a hurricane mixed with the sound of a building charge. In an instant, I felt myself sucked into something, kind of like I was being compressed into a single beam of light.

Yet almost as soon as it begins, it ends. I find myself falling face first into the water. Plunging under the surface, I cover my head with my arms and brace to hit the bottom, but to my surprise it isn't there. I open my eyes in the water, shocked to see the light of day above me. I snap my legs, swimming for the surface. As soon as my head clears, I focus just on drawing a few deep gasps of air, shaking the water out of my face. I open my eyes again, the sight before me more shocking than anything I had seen yet.

'_This place looks just like the Presidium from the old Mass Effect game I have'_ I thought. But the more I look, the more I am convinced that is exactly that. The torus shape of the room (if it could be called a single room, it seemed impossibly large in person), the trees, the krogan statue, the relay monument; all perfectly set just like in the video game.

It takes me a second to realize I'm currently floating around in the massive Presidium Lake itself. _'This is impossible. People don't go through some magic portal into a fictional universe like Narnia or something in real life. Maybe this is all some crazy hallucination because I hit my head and am lying in a hospital bed somewhere. Yeah, that could make sense. Well, at least more sense than this.'_ Still, I can't deny that it sure feels real. The water is very cool, shockingly refreshing as I tread water and try to mentally grapple with the situation I find myself in.

"Hey, human! Get out of there! Swimming in the lake is strictly prohibited!"

I turned my head sharply, looking for the source of the noise, finally realizing it is coming from above me. A turian with a bald face and a blue and black uniform looks down at me from a low bridge in what I assume must be an angry glare.

My mind scrambles for an excuse, "S-sorry. I fell in."

The turian barks in a way I assume is a disbelieving laugh. "Okay, sure. We'll go with that. Now would you mind getting out of there before you cost me my job?"

Realizing that last part probably wasn't a suggestion, I swam for a shallow place where I could climb out. For the time being, I was just going to pretend that this was all real; it would at least make things easier to cope with. By the time I had gotten there and had clambered out, dripping puddles all over the immaculate white floors, the turian was already waiting for me, growling faintly as his mandibles flickered irritably.

I was the first to speak. "You're the Presidium Groundskeeper right?" I vaguely remembered him from Mass Effect 2.

He snorted, "Figured that out all by yourself?"

I didn't bother to retort, figuring I probably wouldn't be doing myself any favors by pissing him off anymore.

"Now what's a duct rat like you doing up here on the Presidium? It's a restricted area."

Bristling a little at being called a 'duct rat', I realized I wasn't going to be able convince him I came from another universe either. I shrugged, "I have my ways."

At that the turian seemed to sneer. "You are an impudent whelp aren't you? Well, you don't have to tell me how you managed to sneak in. We'll leave it to C-Sec to figure that out."

I was outraged. "You're going to hand me to the cops for accidentally falling into your precious lake? Are you serious?"

"I believe you humans have a phrase, 'Serious as a brain aneurism'." Despite the fact that he had just butchered a human idiom, it wasn't in the least bit funny. "Throw in a charge for vagrancy and I'm sure they'll have plenty of reason to take you off my hands."

Before I can respond, a familiar voice came from behind. "Is there a problem Lantis?"

I turned to see a turian in blue C-Sec armor, blue tattoos streaked under his eyes and along his mandibles. Steely silver eyes stared bemusedly back at mine, an iconic blue tracking visor over his left eye. Garrus Vakarian, in the flesh. He seemed much more vivid in person, his striking predatory features and calm voice masking the fiery temper that lay beneath. Or maybe I was just seeing this because I already knew so much about him.

"Officer Vakarian! I caught this vagrant taking a dip in the lake."  
Garrus's mandibles flared in amusement. "Really? Well that's got to be a first. Don't worry Lantis, I'll take it from here."

Satisfied, Lantis the groundskeeper strode away. I shot a glare at him as he went. That guy was way more of a jerk than I remembered him being in the game. I turned back to Garrus, who seemed to be studying my bizarre outfit, blurting out,

"Garrus Vakarian? You're the officer looking to take down the Spectre Saren Arterius, right?"

To my amusement, Garrus was speechless for the first time I'd ever seen him. His mandibles were dropped open, hanging widely as he looked at me in surprise.

"How do you know who I am? And how would you know anything about that?" he inquired suspiciously.

His reaction was exactly what I was hoping for. Now I knew what time period I was in, and better yet, that I was still in time to see the story unfold. Well, if this was all just a fantasy world anyway, I definitely wanted to see Commander Shepard before I woke up.

"I have a knack for finding these things out. What would you say if I knew how to nail the guy?"

He crossed his arms, frowning at me. "The case is closed. My _boss_ ended my investigation before I had the time to acquire any evidence." He said this bitterly. Obviously it still rankled him that Saren was going to get away with his crimes. I tried to exploit that.

"But you know he's guilty. You can't just walk away from this knowing he'll get away with this. What about justice?"

Garrus paced back and forth, obviously agitated. "I've already gotten on my boss's bad side on multiple occasions. If I continue this investigation on my own, it'll be all the excuse he needs to suspend me."

I pressed on, "Aren't you tired of playing by the stupid rules? All that red tape is just going to get innocent people killed in the end. If you don't do something, Saren is going to be free to wreck havoc across the galaxy, and no one will stop him. Do you want that on your conscience? Doesn't your dedication to justice supersede your obligations to the system?"

He stopped pacing, staring at me intensely with those piercing silver eyes as he thought over what I said. I stared back at him, knowing I couldn't let myself be cowed if this was going to work. After a long moment, he broke the silence.

"You said you know how to find proof?"

I exhaled, silently thankful that he was still listening. "I stopped by a Med Clinic in the upper wards run by—"

"Doctor Chloe Michel. I know."

"That's the one. I overheard a conversation between Michel and a quarian girl. Apparently, she had been shot and Michel was patching her up. Michel wanted to help, but the quarian seemed nervous to tell her anything. She told Michel that she had information that could damn a Spectre and that he had sent assassins to eliminate her, but refused to say any more. Michel said she would put her in contact with the Shadow Broker, saying something about an agent named Fist. I didn't really catch anything more than that. But after finding out about the trial Saren was under, I assumed he must be the one she was talking about." I said this all in a bit of a rush. I was lying about how I got the information of course, but maybe honesty is not the best policy in a dream world.

Garrus blinked, his voice obviously disappointed. "That's your source? You think that some quarian woman somehow got some dirt on a Spectre, and that Spectre has to be none other than Saren himself?"

"I know I am right. It's just a hunch, I admit it, but my hunches are rarely wrong."

Garrus stared at me for a while more, pondering what he should do. He crossed his arms, mandibles still in what I thought was a frown.

"I still won't say I believe you, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt today because I'm feeling generous. I'm supposed to be investigating a weapons deal in the Upper Wards, so there won't be a problem with at least checking your story out."

'_Yes! Victorious!" _I celebrated silently, but he wasn't finished, "And anyway, if it turns out you're just wasting my time, well, C-Sec Headquarters are just by the Med Clinic. I'm sure I could make time for a short stop."

His words may have felt more menacing in a different circumstance, but since I already knew I was right, I had no problem smiling. "Looks like we have a deal."

Garrus snorted. "All right kid. Follow me."

I thought it was funny that he called me kid, given that I'm at least half a foot taller than him.

"It's Benjamin, by the way."

"If I cared, I would have asked."

Maybe that groundskeeper wasn't the only jerk in this game…

...

I groaned impatiently at the slowness of the elevator. I had thought that it had just been the game's way of loading that made the rides so slow, but no, they really did creep along at a snail's pace. And it was a much, much longer trip from the Presidium to the wards than I remembered.

"Problem?" Garrus turned and peered up at me through the visor.

"You would think that a place as advanced as the Citadel would have faster elevators. I've already heard this same dang tune play through three times since we got in here. It's never going to get out of my head."

He chuckled briefly. I was still a bit damp in my clothes, but a change of outfit would be impossible now, seeing as I was effectively dead broke. Suddenly I realized my cell phone and wallet were still in my pockets. Great, they were definitely ruined now. I guess they would be kind of useless here anyway though. I sent up a silent prayer of thanks when we finally arrived at the Upper Wards.

As we walked through the doors, I was bombarded with a barrage of sound and images. It was difficult to take it all in. Turians, asari, and humans bustled about in a chaotic, flowing crowd. I even saw an elcor plodding along on it's way to the market. I wanted to hear one's monotonous voice in person, but realized I should probably keep following Garrus. I looked over at Flux's neon sign as I passed by, my eyes drifting down to an asari checking her omni-tool by the club's entrance. It was interesting to see one in the flesh. She had small, pink facial tattoos, contrasting her light blue skin, and wore a tight, form-fitting, yellow and blue dress. _'I guess I could see how they could be attractive to humans, but what about other species?' _

The asari looked at me sharply, "Don't you know it's rude to stare?"

Now I have a habit of popping off every now and again before I can control myself, so even I was shocked to hear myself say, "Just enjoying the view."

She looked at me intently, a bit of a smile forming on her lips. She struck a slightly seductive pose. "Oh, were you now?" her voice smooth and inviting.

Yeah, this was definitely going the wrong way. I stammered a bit, which seemed to only encourage her more. I have to say I was actually relieved to hear Garrus call for me. "Uh, I gotta go."

She smirked, seeming to enjoy the game she was playing with me. Maybe there was more truth to asari promiscuity rumors than they would like to admit. I turned quickly, running straight into something short and heavy.

"Watch where (draws breath) you're walking (draws breath) earth-clan!"

'_Well sock me sideways, a real-life volus!'_ The diminutive alien (complete with a thickly plated, spherical environmental suit, white flap-things where his face should be and loud, gas-sucking breathing apparatus) stared angrily up at me. Kind of cute, in a weird way.

"Terribly sorry. Didn't see you down there." In retrospect, that was definitely a poor choice of words. He puffed up in indignation, his breathing interrupting his words with even greater frequency as he raged.

"You're (draws breath) mocking (draws breath) me (draws breath) earth clan! Just because (draws breath) the vol-clan is (draws breath) shorter—"

A clawed hand grabbed me, pulling me around. Garrus looked irritated.

"Already making friends? Just stick close to me and stop causing more trouble than you're worth."

I looked back at the angry volus. "I really am sorry about that. I meant no disrespect."

"Bah!" he flung a small, thick hand in the air. "I shouldn't (draws breath) waste my breath on you (draws breath)."

The statement was begging a witty retort, but Garrus was walking away, so I hurried to catch up with him. As we worked out way through the crowd, I noticed that large viewing port that overlooked the Citadel.

Without thought I raced over there, gawking at the sight before me. The view was amazing, far more detailed and awe-inspiring than in the game. On each of the Citadel's massive arms, countless massive structures jutted up for miles, some so far away they became mere points of light. Streams of headlights indicated the traffic pattern of sky cars crisscrossing and flowing throughout the arms. A massive turian cruiser drifted lazily nearby. '_There had to be millions of people out there! I wonder if there are other alien species that I haven't seen before living out there too?_'

"Hey kid. Do I need to put you on a leash?"

I turned at Garrus, frowning, "Geez, can't a guy enjoy the sights a bit?"

Garrus frowned in return. "I thought you had been in the Upper Wards before?"

Realizing my slip, I tried to come up with a reasonable excuse. "Yeah, but I never get tired of the view. You can't honestly say that this place doesn't strike you as incredible every now and then."

Garrus shrugged, stepping up to the railing on my left side. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Sometimes you lose the scale of this place when you are confined to one place for too long."

I turned towards him, noticing something in the background.

"Garrus, are you seeing this?"

"You mean the five armed men who just entered the Med Clinic? Yeah, I see that." How could he see that? He wasn't even turned to face them.

"Well, are you convinced yet that I'm telling the truth?"

"No, but I intend on finding out. A potential hostage situation complicates things, though. We have to act fast, so C-Sec reinforcements aren't an option. We have to find a way to get inside…" His voice was calm and collected, much like I expected of him.

I thought for a bit. "Okay Garrus, I have a plan. It's not much, but it's a plan…"

...

"You sure you can keep them distracted?"

I turned towards him, smiling in spite of the nervousness that rose in my gut.

"Stop worrying so much. I was born for this kind of thing."

He wasn't convinced, "I don't suppose it has occurred to you that you're crazy for even planning this?"

"I wouldn't say crazy. Maybe an eccentric who looks good in jeans, but not crazy."

He didn't seem to get the humor, probably wondering what "jeans" were, but was still willing to go with the plan for now. I took a deep breath, bracing myself as I stepped into the clinic. As the doors opened up, I shouted frantically,

"Doctor! Someone is choking up in Flux! You've got to come right away!"

The five men turned abruptly, looking shocked at my intrusion. Their leader spoke up in a gruff voice.

"The doctor's busy right now kid. Beat it."

"But he's suffocating! She's got to come now!"

"She'll be along shortly. Please show the kid to the door boys—"

"NO! I'm fine! I'll go grab someone else. Thanks anyways!"

I ran from the room before any of them could properly react. The distraction may have been stupid, but it had worked. As the clinic had a short wall that hid my lower half from the thugs' view, they couldn't see that Garrus had managed to slink in undetected while I prattled on.

As I ran, I abruptly slammed into a wall. Not an actual wall, but it sure felt like one. I should really learn to look where I am going. As I fell to the ground, I heard a deep bass voice, growling.

"Watch where you're going, human."

"Sorry." I said as I rubbed my head, an armored glove filling up my vision. I looked up to see the outstretched hand of a human soldier waiting to help me up. My eyes flicked over the N7 symbol on his chest. Yep, it was Shepard all right. And right on time too. I grabbed the hand, surprised at the strength in the vice-like grip as he hauled me up.

"You all right there, kid?" He asked with a bit of a smile. He had the features of the default Shepard, but I was glad to see his concern for me. It probably meant he was a paragon character, making my life considerably easier.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry Wr-, er…"

Wrex, the hulking seven foot tall, one metric ton krogan mercenary that I had the luck of running into, squinted at me suspiciously. "Do I know you human?"

"Uh, no. No, we haven't met, it's just uh…" I turned back towards Shepard, eager to mask my slip-up.

"You're looking for Vakarian, right? He just went into the Med Clinic." I pointed a thumb behind me. "You'd better hurry. There are five armed thugs threatening the doctor."

Shepard turned to look at his team, briefly nodding before turning back to me.

"Thanks for the tip. Try to stay out of trouble."

With that Shepard took Wrex, Ash, and Kaidan into the clinic. I waited nearby, knowing it was only a matter of time before the action started. Sure enough, guns started blazing only moments after they entered: the rattling of machine gun fire, the cracking of pistol shots, the boom of a shotgun, even a particularly loud crack that I was pretty sure came from a grenade. It only lasted about ten seconds, but it somehow seemed much longer than that. Once I was sure the fighting had stopped, I stepped into the clinic.

Shepard and his crew stood, collected and unharmed in the midst of the destruction, questioning the shaken doctor. As I already knew what the conversation was about, I was content to lean against the wall as I waited for them to finish. Garrus was accepted into the squad, and soon the whole group was moving out. As Garrus passed me, he stopped and looked me over seriously, a little bit more respect in his gaze now.

"Good work distracting those thugs. You were lucky that they were moronic enough to fall for that though."

I grinned, "I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't been sure it would work. Besides, it paid off didn't it?"

"Indeed. You've got guts kid. I'll make sure to get those charges cleared for you before I leave C-Sec. It's the least I can do." He turned to walk away, to my confusion.

"Hey, wait up!"

He turned back in surprise. "You're not actually expecting to go with us are you?"

What the hell? He was just cutting me out of the loop like that?

"It was because of me that you're even here in the first place. Now you're just getting rid of me?"

He frowned. "I appreciate what you've done, but you can't expect me to take you along just because you're eager to help. You wouldn't last a minute in an actual firefight. Do you even have any weapons training?"

"I've shot guns before…"

"You've shot guns before", he repeated sarcastically. "So you're telling me that despite having no weapons, no armor, and no experience in combat in any way, you still want to come along?"

I fumed at him, knowing he was right but not being able to accept it.

"This is bigger than you are, kid. Go home, or wherever you came from."

And with that he turned around and walked out the door. Bastard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two, Chapter Two:**

**...**

After the squad had left the Med-Clinic, I decided that I should probably skedaddle too before C-Sec got there. I took some time to pilfer the bodies of the thugs before I left. Robbing corpses seems pretty low, and I can't say what exactly persuaded me to do it. If I had tried to rationalize it, I would have argued that I needed the credits; besides, it's not as though they were going to miss them. It still wasn't a pleasant experience, though I can't imagine anything involving death is.

I looked guiltily to see if Dr. Michel was watching me, but she hardly realized I was there. She was sitting on a medical bed off to the side, staring at her hands in shock. Poor girl was probably going to have nightmares after that whole near-death experience. I managed to pull together a couple thousand credits, pausing as I considered grabbing a weapon as well. Realizing that it was better to be safe than sorry, I picked up the best pistol I could find, which turned out to be a Kessler IV pistol equipped with a recoil damper of some sort. Without anywhere else to put it, I tucked it into my waistband and quickly left the clinic.

Once I had some distance between the Med Clinic and myself, it occurred to me just how little of a plan I had for what to do next. I had expected everything would just fall into place perfectly once I met up with Shepard, but they had left for Fist without me. I couldn't blame them for leaving me behind, no matter how much I wanted to. I was a civvie, and therefore a liability in combat. I didn't belong on Shepard's team. Still, when I thought back at how Garrus had coolly dismissed me, it made my blood boil. I wanted to join Shepard, if for no other reason than to prove him wrong. _'For crying out loud, if I'm going to be stuck in a video game universe, I'm not going to let myself miss out on the main plot line. I just need a plan.'_ The only problem was I had none.

I slumped against the wall, feeling defeated. Not only was I hungry, useless, and pretty much lost, I had no way of getting myself back to my own time where I belonged. For the first time in my life, I felt incredibly small and home sick. Shepard would save Tali, and before I knew it…

_'Wait a second. That's it!'_ I thought. _"I can still go save Tali! If I bring her to Udina myself, Shepard will see that I'm useful.'_ It wasn't the most logical plan, but since when have my plans ever been logical? I jumped up, brimming with confidence as I walked backtracked my way towards Flux.

It was only a short distance from the Med-Clinic, as they were both in the Upper Wards. I took the door leading to the Presidium elevator just before the entrance to Flux, looking for another door to the left wall. Sure enough, there it was; the back entrance of the alley where I was sure to find her. Without a second thought, I waltzed through doorway, planning on hiding myself away somewhere to prepare.

Except for one problem. She was already waiting there. She sat on a crate at the bottom of the stairs, foot bouncing nervously. Hearing my approach she sprang up, glowing eyes staring at me through that opaque purple visor. I stopped halfway down the stairs, unsure of what to do.

"You're early."

I blinked at her odd welcome. "Not as much as you are, I see."

She walked closer, her hand floated back slowly, but noticeably, toward the shotgun I was sure was slung at her back.

"You are not the Shadow Broker, or Fist. That much is obvious."

Her words were bolder than he expected, despite the slight tremor in her voice. I looked around in confusion, speaking without thinking.

"I beat them here? I mean, I figured would, but…"

My voice cut off as she whipped out her shotgun, closing in and aiming it at my chest.

"Who sent you then? Saren?"

I put my hands up placatingly, realizing I was dangerously close to getting blown away. "No, what? Calm down. I came from Dr. Michel's clinic. Fist had betrayed you to Saren, and he's sending assassins to—"

Movement caught my eye again. Across the alley, I recognize the familiar skull-faced turian flanked by two salarians in white armor as they suddenly came up the stairs. They stop and stare at us, apparently stunned to see me here. Tali turned to face the new intruders, barrel of her shotgun unintentionally sweeping towards them. The assassins' hands shot to their weapons as they prepared to reciprocate.

Time seemed to slow as my fight or flight instincts began to take over. A series of tactical evaluations flashed through my mind at lightning speed: we had no cover, they had the advantage of numbers, Tali had a short-range shotgun, and I had no armor.

Without time to think, I did the first thing that came to my mind: I grabbed Tali around the waist, yanking her off her feet as I carried/dragged her up to the door. She felt surprisingly light, but it could easily have just been the adrenaline that made it seem so. She cried out in surprise and lost her grip on her shotgun, but I kept running, practically punching the door lock open. Shots began to whiz by as I leaped through the doorway and around the corner, pounding the door lock with my free hand on the other side to close it. I dropped Tali, pulling out my pistol as I shot the lock until I was sure it was destroyed. Good. That might manage to slow them down a bit.

I stared at the door, panting, knowing I was lucky to be alive. If they hadn't been so far away when they had opened fire, or had been able to properly aim before I had blitzed out of there, I would be Swiss Cheese right now. Maybe I should have listened to Garrus about that. One thing was certain though; this definitely wasn't just a dream. If I had any lingering doubts up until that point, they were all gone.

My hands shaking a bit at the adrenaline still coursing through my body, I turned back towards Tali, a smile beginning to form on my face.

"Well, that was a bit excit—"

She moved like a blur, slamming her metal incased arm against my wrist. I dropped the gun, stunned, but before I could react she followed the momentum of her sudden strike, spinning low with the grace of a dancer as she swept my legs out from under me. I crashed to the ground heavily, my arms only barely bracing my fall. She immediately pounced on my chest, whipping out the knife from her boot and pressing it against my throat. It was all so fast, so unexpected. I couldn't tell if I was scared or embarrassed or even a little turned on. That last part was definitely the most confusing feeling, considering I had just got my ass handed to me and was a moment away from a slit throat.

But since she hadn't cut my throat yet, I was sure there was still some hope of coming out of this alive. She leaned in closely, hissing threateningly.

"You have ten seconds to tell me who you are and who sent you. If I don't like your answer, you're going to wish those men back in there had killed you instead."

For a few seconds I found myself simply staring into her opaque purple visor. She was so close that I could almost make out the features of her face. Her glowing eyes burned into mine. I took a gulp of air, the feeling of having the wind knocked out of me settling in my gut. It sure didn't help matters that she was kneeling on my chest, pinning me to the floor.

"That… wasn't the response I was expecting for saving your life."

She pressed the blade against my neck a little harder, drawing a bit of blood. Maybe now wasn't the time for jokes.

"I can handle myself", she growled menacingly, "and I don't think you're making good use of your time."

I swallowed. I didn't think she was capable of cold-blooded murder, but now wasn't the time to tempt fate. "I met a man named Commander Shepard who is looking for information to take down Saren. I was with him when he saved Dr. Michel from Fist's thugs. He said that Saren had bought off Fist and now he had sent men to kill you. The whole meeting was a trap. When Shepard went to take down Fist, I went searching through the wards for you. I was just lucky to find you before something happened."

She didn't look convinced, but the knife pressure did seem to decrease. The sound of banging on the now locked door caused her to jerk her head up.

"Look", I said, "I know I'm not going to convince you in just a few seconds, but as much as I enjoy being straddled by you right now, we need to find somewhere safe before our friends here find another way around. Besides," I added, "after all that gunfire, people are bound to come looking. What do you think they're going to assume when they see a quarian with a knife to my throat?"

Knowing the quarian reputation as thieves, I let that last piece of information sink in for a bit. With some obscure quarian curse, she got off me, though I suspected she deliberately added pressure to the knee into my chest as she stood up. "Fine", she said reluctantly as she sheathed her knife, "I hope you have more of a plan than you have up to this point."

I nodded as I sat up. The elevator was nearby, but if they managed to override the lift controls before we reached the top, we were as good as dead. Plus, I wasn't too keen to get back in one of those.

"We'll get to the rapid transit, try to get some distance between us and those assassins. If we can get to the Presidium, you'll be safe at the human embassy."

She was silent for a moment, as if unsure whether to believe me. She sighed, giving me a hand to help me up. "All right. Let's go."

I reached down to retrieve my pistol. As I picked it up, I noticed how she subtly shifted her weight to an attack ready stance. The last thing I needed right now was for her to distrust me. I spun the pistol, holding the barrel as I offered the grip to her.

"I think it's best if you take this instead. You obviously have training with these things, so I think it'll be more useful in your hands if we get into a fight."

She blinked as she stared at the pistol, obviously shocked I would offer her my only weapon after she had just threatened to kill me. She took it slowly, studying it briefly before attaching it to her hip. She stared at me oddly, so I shrugged.

"It's the least I can do since I lost your shotgun. Now c'mon, we've got to hurry."

I turned to walk out the door, pleased that she was following closely behind.

...

We managed to get a X3M shuttle, setting it on a route to the Presidium. The auto pilot controls engaged, allowing us to ride comfortably while the shuttle took us to our destination. For a while we rode in silence, watching the scenery of the wards pass us by. Tali seemed like she was either nervous or unwilling to talk to me, so I tried to break the ice.

"I'm sorry. With everything going on, I never properly introduced myself. My name is Benjamin Smith." I reached over my hand to shake hers. She looked a bit suspicious, but eventually took my hand, shaking it. It felt odd to grasp her small, three-fingered hand in my five-fingered paw.

"My name is Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

"Nar Rayya. That means you were born on the Rayya, right?" I hoped my knowledge of the quarians would help bring in bringing down her defenses.

Sure enough, she looked surprised. "You know about quarian names?"

I shrugged. "I know a lot about the quarians. I guessing by the fact that you are on the Citadel instead of back with the Migrant Fleet that you're on your pilgrimage, right?"

"Yes, I am!" she said excitedly. Apparently the fact that I was acquainted with quarian traditions made her feel much more comfortable around me. Good.

I smiled. "So how did a nice girl like you end up getting caught up in a mess like this?"

She didn't need more prodding, happily launching into her story. Even though I knew it all already, I was still a good listener, encouraging her with my responses to keep talking. Besides getting her to warm up to me, I liked listening to her voice, so I actually was enjoying our talk. I didn't even notice that a trickle of liquid began to run down my neck until she reached end of her story. I touched the spot, pulling away bloody fingertips.

"Oh, you're bleeding again." She began to put a hand towards the cut but jerked it back, seeming to think better of the idea.

"Don't worry about it." I said. "It's just a little cut. You don't have anything I could staunch it up with though, do you?"

"Sorry, I don't. But… I suppose I could use a bit of my medi-gel…"

"Come on, you can't waste a dose of medi-gel on something like this. I'll just need to clean it up before we get to the Presidium."

She worked her hands, that nervous habit she had. "I'm sorry for attacking you like that back there, it's just…"

I waved away her apology. "Really, it doesn't matter. After everything you've been through, I shouldn't have been surprised for that welcome. I would have done the same it I had been in your boots. Well, not as stylishly of course…"

She giggled at that. "Isn't supposed to be 'in your shoes'?"

I shrugged. "I've heard it both ways."

Our conversation came to a close as we reached the docking area of the Presidium.

...

It was a little difficult, but I managed to get us in without anyone bothering us. We sat on a bench together nearby the embassy while I told her my story, from how I had first learned about her to the events now. I noticed people were giving us weird looks as they passed by, but then again, we were an odd looking couple. A quarian and a young man in strange clothes sitting in the Presidium together wasn't something you saw everyday. Once I finished, she waited a few moments before asking,

"Ben, why are we waiting here instead of going into the embassy?"

"Trust me, we have to wait for someone to get here first. Just be patient."

But as if on cue, there was Shepard and his squad came lumbering up the stairs on their way to the Ambassador Udina's office. I smiled, pointing.

"And there they are."

Tali looked over at the strange group, frowning. "Is that Commander Shepard?" She began to stand up, but I lightly grabbed her arm.

"Hold on just a minute. The timing isn't right yet. And to answer your question, yes, that man in charge there is Commander Shepard. You'll meet the rest soon enough."

She turned to me, perplexed and beginning to be suspicious again. "Why are you making me wait out here in the open when we could be safe inside the embassy?"

"Tali, do you trust me?"

She looked at me, expression difficult to read. She had a killer poker face when she wanted one. Good thing her voice and body language were so expressive.

"I…I think so, Ben. But why—"

"I'm just trying to milk the drama of the moment a bit. Don't worry, I've got this under control."

She huffed as she sat down, leg doing that familiar jitter again. I smiled. After I was sure they were in Udina's office, I stood up. "Show time." Tali looked at me as though seriously doubting my sanity.

We walked up to the office, listening at the door. Udina was furious, railing at Shepard and his team.

"_What do you mean the quarian disappeared?"_

"_I mean exactly what I said. When we got to the alley, all we found was a small group of assassins trying to blast their way through a locked door. She was gone before we arrived, but we have several witnesses who claim to have seen her leaving the scene. They also said there was a young man with her."_ That had to be Shepard's voice.

I looked at Tali, grinning. Her eyes were wide as she shushed me, listening closer.

"_You mean she wasn't abducted?"_ That was Anderson, no doubt about it.

"_Witnesses said they jumped in a shuttle together and disappeared. From the sound of it, she went willingly. We aren't sure where they've gone."_

"_Right now that quarian is our only lead on Saren and the only reason to excuse that ill advised assault you led on Chora's Den. If you don't find her as soon as possible, we are all going to be in one hell of a—"_

I decided now it was time to make our entrance. Keying the door, it opened to a very surprised looking group of people.

"You can forget that umbrella Udina, because there isn't going to be a 'political shit-storm' as you would so descriptively say. May I present to you Miss Tali'Zorah nar Rayya." I swept my hand towards her. "She has come across some fascinating evidence that I'm sure you'll all be highly interested to look at."

Tali stepped forward wringing her hands, uncomfortable in the limelight.

"I'm sure that you will find it all to be most satisfactory. Commander Shepard, Captain Anderson, good day to both of you." I made a small bow in their direction, deliberately ignoring Udina.

And with that, I left the room of baffled people behind without a second glance, feeling very satisfied at the parting look of shock and anger on Udina's face. I was still floating on that exhilarating feeling as I sauntered down the stars, straight into a small group of C-Sec officers, the groundskeeper smugly glaring at me in the midst of them.

"I should have known Vakarian would be too soft with you. Officers, arrest the vagrant."

I put my hands up in surrender. All I could think was, _"Ah hell."_

_..._

Well this is just peachy. Just freaking perfect. Here I am in a C-Sec holding cell, awaiting judgment for who knows what. I mean, what horrible punishment could await a filthy street rat that dared to taint the sacredness of the Presidium Lake? Would I be burned at the stake? I sat on the cold metal bench, thumping the back of my head against the wall. This adventure wasn't shaping up nearly how I thought it would.

Eventually a human officer came up to my cell, shutting down the containment field as he swiped a card in the nearby wall port.

"All right, on your feet, let's go."

I sighed as I stood up, hands bound in front of me in some form of futuristic handcuffs. They weren't exactly uncomfortable, but they sure were tight.

"About time I figured out what was going on. So where are we headed officer?"

"Stow it kid. You've got a visitor."

So I wasn't heading to a trial. That part was at least welcome to hear. And if my visitor was whom I thought it was, maybe I was still doing okay after all.

The officer led me into a C-Sec interrogation room, where sure enough, Shepard, Kaidan, and Ashley were waiting for me. _'Shepard always had that two-companion minimum in the game. I wonder if he ever is alone outside of his ship in real life?'_ The officer sat me down at the table on the opposite side of Shepard. Kaidan and Ashley hovered on either side of Shepard, standing with their hands behind their backs.

Shepard smiled, "You can remove those hand-cuffs officer. I'm sure they won't be necessary." Wordlessly the cop walked up, took off the handcuffs and left the room. I rubbed my wrists to try to stimulate blood flow to my hands. Once the officer was gone, I turned to face Shepard.

He smirked, "Well, I can see you didn't listen to me when I asked you to stay out of trouble."

It wasn't really funny though. "I had the luck of pissing off the Presidium Groundskeeper. He has it out for me now."

Shepard chuckled at that. "Yeah, Garrus told me the whole thing. Care to explain for why you decided to take a swim in the lake?"

"I was hot. Someone dared me. A hanar pushed me in. Take your pick." I wanted to change the subject, so I turned the conversation towards him. "I have to say, it's good to see you again though, Commander Shepard. Or is Spectre part of your title now?"

If he was surprised that I knew about his recent appointment, he didn't show it. "Expecting me?" he asked with a bit of a smile on his face.

"You? Yes. But I admit I expected there would be more with you."

He smiled. "And here I thought this conversation was all my idea." He crossed his arms, seemingly relaxed. There was something about his eyes though told me the relaxed exterior was just for show; that internally he was bound up like a spring, ready for action at the drop of a hat.

"The rest of the crew had some business to take care of before the Normandy sets off. But since you were expecting me, you probably already know why I am here."

I try to play it off, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe, but I still want to hear you say it first."

Shepard smiled and continued. "You're an interesting character Benjamin. Garrus and Tali had a lot to say about you, half I wouldn't believe if I hadn't seen it myself. You handle yourself well and are brave under fire, not to mention you put others' welfare above your own safety. Those are rare qualities of a veteran soldier, not a greenhorn. Plus, you pissed off Udina, which gives me enough reason to like you even if you hadn't brought us Tali unharmed when you could have passed her off to the highest bidder. That shows character and heart, something I value in my teammates."

I was feeling pretty flattered at this point, even getting hopeful as he mentioned 'teammates'. But he wasn't done.

"There are some things that don't add up though." I feel a bit of a chill at those words. "C-Sec customs has no records of your existence on the Citadel. You somehow know people who swear they've never met you before. You're always managing to find yourself in the right place at the right time. Moreover, you seem to be very interested in helping me. And I want to know why."

This was definitely unexpected. I wasn't sure what to say, and it showed.

"We know you don't work for Saren or the Shadow Broker, or you wouldn't have brought Tali to us. So that eliminates the two most likely sources where you could be getting all your information" Kaidan quipped stoically.

Ashley Williams looked at me hard. "Just tell us who you're working for and why you want to help us, or we'll dump your sorry ass back in jail."

Several seconds past as I wracked my brain for a response, but it felt like several minutes. A furious struggle raged in my mind.

'_What do I say; I come from an alternate universe in which your life is nothing but a video game? Right, that will go over real well'._

'_Well, you can't pass it off that you're hyper observant or something. That'll come back to bite you in the ass.' _

'_Maybe being honest is the best way to go. The truth has got to come out one way or another, right? Best to just be up front—'_

"Okay, okay. Fine, you win." I put my hands up in resignation. "I got the information because… I am a psychic." _'Or you can spout the first thought to come to your mind. Smooth move, ex-lax.'_

Shepard had a perfect poker face, but Ashley outright laughed at that.

"A psychic. You're serious? You think that we're actually going to buy that?"

Kaidan frowned, "I agree Commander. This kid is just wasting our time."

My heart was beating a tattoo in my chest and a flush crept up on my face, but I forced my voice to remain calm. Might as well try to bluff my way through this, even if I'm just digging myself a deeper hole.

"You want proof?" I looked at Shepard, closing my eyes, "When you were on Eden Prime, a Prothean beacon burned a vision into your mind. One of war, death, and suffering. You're still trying to make out what it means, but now you think it was about the Reapers."

He raised his eyebrows, but wasn't convinced. "It's possible you somehow managed to get your hands on my Eden Prime report. The documentation of that vision is all there. And Tali could have shown you the recording of Saren before you brought her to us."

"Another thing then. Hmmm… when your pilot, Joker, made the jump to Eden Prime, he ranting about something Nihlus said. What was it? 'You remember to zip up your jumpsuit on your way out of the bathroom? That's good. I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead. So that's incredible.'"

I grinned at the look of shock on Shepard's face. He turned to Kaidan, whose jaw was hanging open. Kaidan burst out, "That's exactly what he said! How are you doing that?" I can't believe I was actually pulling this off.

Ashley is having none of it. "C'mon, who here is actually believing this kid?"

Kaidan tentatively raised a hand despite the glare she shot at him.

I turned to Ash, putting my hands out towards her like I was feeling for something. After a moment, I asked, "Oh, by the way, how's Sarah doing? Is she still with that jerk that tried to push her into having sex? I'd find it hard to believe, considering she whipped his ass twice."

Now it was Ashley's turn to gape at me while the other two looked at her in confusion. I guess as long as I am on a roll, might as well keep going.

"I guess I also have to congratulate you for something else Shepard. Ambassador Udina is planning to retire Captain Anderson, giving you full command of the Normandy."

I was really enjoying that dumbfounded expression on Shepard's face right now. I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier. He looked dazed, like he might slump out of his chair.

"H-how? How is that possible?"

I shrugged my shoulders, looking down at the table as I continued to bluff. "I don't really know. I'm not a mind reader or anything like that. Sometimes I just see visions of the past, or the future. I don't really have much control over it."

Shepard was recovering fairly quickly. Then again it wasn't so surprising. This was the guy who could believe in a race of immortal, genocidal starships.

"Look Shepard, when you first came aboard this station, I could tell you were caught up in something big. This thing goes deeper than just Saren and the geth. Only you can stop them from bringing back the Reapers. If you fail, every being in the galaxy will die. That is why I want to help you, and I would dare say you could use my help too." I finished my tale, leaning back as I awaited his verdict.

He stared at me, and for a short moment I thought he would refuse.

Ashley frowned. "Shepard, I don't trust this kid. Letting him come would be a mistake."

I glared at her. "I'm sorry, did the commander die and put you in charge?"

She glared back at me, about to shoot an angry comment when Shepard cut her off. "Kaidan? What do you think?"

Kaidan shrugged. "I don't see how else he could know all that stuff Commander. His story may sound incredible, but I think he's being honest." Maybe Kaidan isn't the best judge of character. Still, I'm grateful to have his support. Shepard looked back towards me, frowning.

"Okay Benjamin. I don't know if I fully believe you yet, but I would have to be crazy to turn down someone with your skill set off-handedly. Glad to have you on board."

As I shook his hand, even though this was exactly what I had been hoping to hear, hearing those words still gave me chills. '_I can't believe I pulled it off._'

Still, there were still a few issues to resolve.

"You know I don't have any military training, right Commander?"

"The Normandy has all the available training equipment you could need. You'll have to learn on the go. It's not perfect, but I'm sure you can handle it."

"I'm not with the Alliance either, though. Do I have to enlist or something?"

Shepard shrugged, "Neither are Wrex, Garrus, or Tali, but I'm not forcing them to conscript. Maybe it's for the best that you stay off the grid."

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this sir." Shepard could have the limelight; I was plenty happy with anonymity.

"You can pay me back by helping me top Saren. C'mon Ben, let's get back to the ship."


	3. Chapter 3

**Part One, Chapter Three: Finale**

**...**

Thankfully it was only a short elevator ride to the main lobby of C-Sec Academy, because I was feeling pretty giddy right now and being stuck in a small room definitely wasn't helping. We filed out towards C-Sec's central chamber, heading for the elevator that would bring us to the docks. I was happy to see that Tali, Garrus, and Wrex were already waiting for us where we got there. Garrus nodded at me, Wrex seemed to smirk, and Tali, uh, at least _looked_ happy to see me. As Shepard approached the team, Wrex was the first to speak.

"I kind of figured you'd gone to see the whelp. I take it this means we're bringing him along."

I'm starting to wonder why everyone calls me 'kid' or 'whelp'. I mean, Wrex I can understand because he has centuries under his belt, but come on I'm twenty years old.

Shepard nodded. "I'll explain everything once we get on the Normandy. Everyone, meet Benjamin Smith, our newest crew member."

He looked at me, eyebrow cocked. "But I'm sure you don't need any introductions."

I smiled as I rattled off the names. "Tali, Garrus, Wrex, Kaidan, Ashley. Good to see everyone together."

Shepard nodded, turning towards his team. "I assume you're all prepared to leave?"

They all voiced affirmation, so we crammed into the C-Sec elevator and began our long ascent to the docks. It was pretty uncomfortable, but then I was squished against Tali, so I guess it could have been worse. Wrex was the only one who had any elbowroom, but no one was feeling brave enough to cuddle with a krogan. We rode in a bit of an awkward silence, everyone a little too intimate for anyone's liking, all privately wishing to get out of the room as soon as possible.

When we finally did reach the docks, everyone surged forward, eager to get out of the claustrophobic elevator car. I was carried out for a few steps before I managed to separate from the crowd. I stepped up to the railing, gazing in awe at the sight before me.

The _Normandy _was amazing. Its spotless white hull brightly gleamed, reflecting the glowing lights of the docks. It's stream-lined form, the black and white contrast of its hull and engines, the slash of red at the bow, the sharp blades protruding from its nose; it was all faintly reminiscent of some sort of ancient predator, like an orca. It was more than just a frigate; it was a piece of art, a true marvel of engineering.

"Keelah… she's beautiful." I turned to see Tali had joined me in staring in awe at the Normandy.

I smiled. "I take it you like ships then."

"Of course! It comes from living on them your entire life. I've seen thousands of ships in my lifetime, but never anything like this. I still can't believe that Shepard is letting me join his crew. I wonder if it as amazing inside?"

I looked at her. "Say, you're an engineer right?"

She turned towards me, surprised. "How did you know that?"

I shrugged, not really caring to explain my story since Shepard seemed intent on doing so already. "Call it a hunch. You should ask Shepard to see if you can help the engineering team on board."

Her head lowered and she began fidgeting with her hands, a dead give away that she was nervous again. "I don't know. The _Normandy_ is an incredibly advanced Alliance ship. Its design must be classified material. I'm not sure Shepard would even be allowed to let me help even if he wanted to. I mean, I am a quarian, and we don't… I mean, people generally think we're just…"

"Thieves and vagrants?" I offered.

She nodded morosely, apparently not wanting to talk about it.

"Don't worry. Shepard's a good man. He doesn't put up with all that xenophobic bull about the quarians or anybody else. If you asked him, I'm sure he'd be happy to let you help."

She looked up at me cautiously, "Well, okay. I'll ask him."

Pleased, I looked back at the ship.

"And Benjamin?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. I'm… it means a lot to know you don't think of me that way."

I turned back to her and smiled. Her eyes lit up in that way that meant she was smiling too. I looked past her towards Shepard as he talked with Udina and Anderson. "It looks like they're wrapping up. Come on, let's get aboard."

...

Sure enough, Shepard had been given full control of the Normandy. After we spent a few moment's in the ship's decontamination cycle, Shepard filed us into the ship. After giving us newbies a short set of rules (crew conflicts would be brought to him, zero tolerance for xenophobia, no killing crewmates, etc.), he dismissed us to get acquainted to the ship, saying he would call us up to the comm room behind the CIC for a short meeting in a bit.

I began following Wrex and Garrus down the ship's corridor, but stopped as I realized Tali wasn't joining us. She was still back there, wringing her hands as she looked at Shepard as he made his way to speak with Joker. She looked at me, so I mouthed 'Go on' while making nudging motions with my hands. She hesitated, then nodded sharply and walked up to Shepard. He turned towards her, seeming to be a bit surprised to find her still standing there. I couldn't hear the conversation, but judging by their expressions and body language, I wasn't at all surprised to see Tali joyfully turn to run my way. She seemed to check her enthusiasm, forcing herself to try to walk at a dignified pace as she made her way to the ship's engineering deck. I smiled, my expression saying _'I told you so', _as I turned to walk with her across the Normandy's command deck down to the elevator lift. She pressed the button to call the elevator, turning to look at me questioningly as I walked around towards the crew's quarters.

"I need something to eat." I explained.

She nodded. "Oh, okay. See you later."

I turned the corner, my view of Tali abruptly cut off. I took a few steps towards the dining area, only to realize that not only was it completely empty, there was no kitchen on this deck like there would be on the SR-2. Grumbling at this setback, I turned towards the medical room, sure I could at least find one person I already knew there. Sure enough, Dr. Chakwas was in there, working diligently at her desk like usual. I smiled as she looked at me in surprise.

"Yes, may I help you?" I always liked her accent and manner. In a way she seemed like she could be my grandma, even though I was pretty sure she was too young for that.

"Dr. Chakwas I presume? I have a medical emergency to report."

She looked surprised that I knew her name. "And what is the nature of this emergency, Mr...?"

"Smith. Benjamin Smith. I'm reporting a case of severe malnutrition, and am hoping you may be able to alleviate my problem by pointing me in direction of the nearest available sustinence, stat."

A faint smile crept on her lips. "I'm afraid you've already missed the last meal time. But not to worry, I always keep some spare food in my office for extreme cases."

She opens a cabinet and pulls out a brown package. "I'm afraid these aren't terribly good."

"Trust me, they're plenty good enough for me." I still hadn't eaten dinner, and that had been at least hours ago. I ravenously began digging into the MRE. I didn't recognize what all the food was, but it tasted familiar enough that I had no problem cramming it down.

She chuckled lightly, "I don't think I've seen anyone but Shepard and Alenko dig into food like that, and they're both biotics. Then again, you are quite larger than either of them."

I filed that point about Shepard away. It would be useful to seem like I already knew about Shepard's abilities given that I was a self-proclaimed psychic now. Come to think of it, I should probably do a background check too so I know about his past. I gulped down my food. "Sorry, I haven't eaten for hours."

"Well, that's not typically my definition of severe malnutrition, but you do seem like you were in need of this."

Suddenly Shepard's voice blared over the intercom. "This is Commander Shepard speaking. We have our orders…" Shepard launched into a rousing speech about the stakes of this mission and his confidence that we would succeed. Even without any heroic music in the background, it was captivating and inspiring. By the end of it, I didn't feel like a young man in hopelessly over his head anymore, but a hero on a mission to save the galaxy.

I didn't even realize that I had stopped eating the rations Dr. Chakwas had given me, being so focused on the speech. Remembering the upcoming meeting with Shepard, I told Dr. Chakwas,

"I guess I'll be taking this to go. Thanks again Doctor."

...

I stepped into the comm room, looking for an open seat to settle into to finish my meal. Ashley gave me a look that obviously expressed her disapproval for bringing food to a debriefing, but I kept eating calmly as though I didn't notice. After Shepard's speech, I had bid a quick farewell to Chakwas and double-timed it back up the stairs. Fortunately, I wasn't the last to make it to the meeting. Unfortunately, Tali was. She muttered an apology and quickly took the last open seat besides Garrus. I glanced to my left, realizing that Wrex was sizing me up with one of his deep crimson eyes. I held up my MRE, "Want some?"

He snorted with amusement, turning his attention towards Shepard

Shepard didn't take his seat, preferring to stand as he looked over his squad. He crossed his arms, collecting his thoughts for a moment before beginning.

"I know many of you are curious as to the nature of this meeting. Similarly, I'm sure you are also curious about the presence of our young guest." He nodded towards me. Come on, again with the young thing?

"It's my intention to clear up any confusion on the matter, as well as explain the extenuating circumstances." He took a deep breath before continuing. "It would appear that Ben here happens to be a psychic."

'_No beating around the bush with him',_ I thought.

Everyone in the room fell silent; only the cracking of my MRE package could be heard, obscenely loud given the circumstances. I stayed focused on my food, trying to appear as though the absurd statement didn't bother me in the slightest. The moment seemed to drag on an uncomfortably long time, as though everyone was waiting for Shepard to crack a smile, laugh; anything to show this was all a big joke.

Suddenly, Wrex let out a loud, bark like laugh of his own, apparently amused that anyone would make such a ridiculous claim. Garrus was looking at Shepard's face intently, as if still trying to determine if he was being funny. Tali just stared at me in a startled way.

Shepard however, kept his stone-faced expression. "I was skeptical myself as well. But he knows things about us that would be impossible to know any other way. He even predicted that Udina would replace Anderson and make me de facto captain of the Normandy."

Garrus crossed his arms as Wrex continued to chuckle. Tali just kept staring at me. It was starting to become a bit uncomfortable.

"With all due respect, Commander, I didn't take you for a mystic."

I smirked at Garrus's statement. "Why is it whenever someone says 'with all due respect', they really mean 'kiss my ass'?"

This managed to make Ashley smirk in spite of herself. She obviously was intent to dislike me, though I couldn't guess why.

Garrus turned towards me, narrowing his eyes. "Okay Ben, I'll play your little game. Go ahead; prove it. Prove that you have these 'psychic powers' and that will be the end of it." He threw out the challenge arrogantly, confident that I would be proven to be the liar he knew I was. I guess he was mostly right though.

I shrugged, setting down my now empty food wrappings.

"All right, if that's what you want." I close my eyes in apparent concentration, actually trying to recall some information about him I could use. After a moment, I opened my eyes, saying,

"Your father was a C-Sec officer. "Do things right or don't do them at all" he used to tell you. He was the reason you joined C-Sec instead of going through Spectre training. What do you think he'd say now that you've joined a Spectre's crew to go cavorting about the galaxy, taking down bad guys without any rules to hold you back?"

His mandibles flared and his arms dropped to his side. I wasn't done yet though. I turn my attention now to the bemused looking Wrex.

"What about you Wrex? Garrus isn't the only one with family troubles. Being betrayed by your own father has a way of changing one's priorities. Was it before or after you sunk your knife in Jarrod's chest that you believed that uniting the krogan was a lost cause?"

Wrex eyes grew wide at my words, hands squeezing the edge of his seat until it started to warp under the pressure. He seems dangerously close to losing control, something I've only seen once before. I certainly don't want to be the object of his rage should the dam of his enormous self-restraint break. But the anger the memories stir up leaks out from him almost as quickly as it came. The fire in his eyes is instantly replaced with sadness and bitterness, and he turns his gaze to the deck at his feet.

I turned towards Tali, who seemed to be nervous again as my attention switched to her.

"I know that a lot is expected of you on your pilgrimage, Tali. Having your father, Zael'Zorah, as the head of the Admiralty Board definitely isn't the life of pampered royalty."

Tali gasped at this, hand flying to her visor.

"H-how do you know about my father?"

There was no need to answer that. All of the previous skepticism they had held just moments before had vanished in the short time that I spoke.

The crew was silent, staring at me until I started to squirm with discomfort. I didn't exactly enjoy flaunting everyone's personal lives without their consent, but it had seemed like the quickest way to convince them.

"Look, I can't read minds or communicate with the dead or anything like that. I can't even control my power. All my life, I've been able to see random glimpses of the past and the future. It may have caused me some grief in my life, but I believe everything happens for a reason. It wasn't mere chance that I was given this gift, or that I would find myself in your company. I've never seen things so clearly or so detailed as I have around you guys, and I know that has to be important. This mission will affect the fate of the galaxy as we know it, and I sense you all will need my help before the end."

I fell silent, slightly embarrassed at my presumptuous statements. I'm not someone who is big on speeches, at least off the top of my head and in front of a group. Lying about this whole psychic thing was getting easier, but I wasn't sure that was a good thing. At least I was being earnest about the rest of it though; it couldn't have just been coincidence that I was brought here. If it hadn't been for me, Garrus would have never continued his investigation, and Tali might be dead. I was supposed to change things.

Shepard looked around at his squad. "So, does anyone still have a problem believing this?"

Whether they did or not, no one was willing to say anything.

"All right then. Discussing this wasn't the only reason I brought you here. I also want to give you the sitrep on our mission. We don't have many leads to go on, but every moment we waste just gives Saren more time to find the Conduit."

"I'm setting a course for the Artemis Tau Cluster to search for Matriarch Benezia's daughter. She may be able to tell is why the Matriarch aligned with Saren and what their next plans are. The cluster we're looking at is fairly large though, so we'll be spending some time—"

"She's on Therum, Shepard."

Everyone looked at me, surprised.

I continued. "Her name is Liara T'Soni. She's currently investigating some old Prothean ruins on a volcanic planet called Therum. I didn't see anything else though."

Shepard looked surprised, but also fairly pleased. Good, I was making myself useful. "I'll put that name into the ship's systems, see what comes up. Now Ben, Ash and Kaidan stay here for a minute. The rest of you, dismissed."

Garrus and Wrex filed toward the door. Tali followed, taking one last glance back at me before exiting the room. Once the doors closed, Shepard began speaking again.

"You should recall, Ben, that I am not making you join the Alliance. Even so, as long as you're under my command, I expect you to conduct yourself as a soldier. As you have little combat or technical experience, your duty aboard the ship is to train for the upcoming missions. In addition to their regular duties, Ash will act as your combat instructor, while Kaidan will provide your tech tutoring. Once both deem you fit for active duty, you may officially join my squad on ground missions. Am I understood?"

"Crystal, sir."

"That's what I like to hear. You'll start training in the morning." He turned towards my new unofficial NCO's. "I'll make sure to get you all the training equipment you need. I want Ben prepared for action within four weeks."

Neither Kaidan nor Ashley looked happy with this news.

"You've got to be kidding me Commander."

"I agree with Ash on this one, sir. That's hardly enough time to get this kid prepared."

Shepard was impassive. "We're banking the survival of the galaxy on impossible odds. I'd say if a rogue Spectre with a massive dreadnought and legions of geth at his disposal can be stopped by an Alliance frigate and an unlikely band of brothers, you should have no trouble getting Ben up to speed." With that, he walked from the room.

Kaidan turned towards me. "Well, I guess I have a lot to get ready then. Like the Commander said, you may not be with the Alliance; but, as long as you're serving with us, you're to treat us as your superior officers."

"Aye aye, Lt."

Kaidan nodded. "I'll be sure to get you a uniform for you to change into too" he said before walking out of the door. I began to follow him, stopping as I felt a hand grab my shoulder.

"Hold on a second, kid. I want to talk with you for a bit."

I turned, inwardly cringing in fear of whatever Ashley was going to throw at me. Once Kaidan left, her expression hardened.

"Now you listen to me good, because I'm only going to say this once." Typically I would correct bad grammar in someone else's speech, but now didn't seem like the proper time. She continued in that quiet, threatening voice.

"The Commander may trust you, but that doesn't mean that I do. Now I don't care if you're a prophet of God Himself. If I even suspect you are trying to undermine this mission, or that you have other loyalties than to Shepard, I'm going to make you wish you were never born."

What the heck is it about me that makes almost every women I meet in this galaxy want to kill me?

She leaned in close, voice dropping to almost a whisper. "And if I find out this whole psychic shtick is some kind of scam, I will personally dump your ass out of the nearest airlock. Do we understand each other?"

After I shook out the willies in my spine, I must have mumbled something like, "Um, yeah, uh-sure thing sir, er, ma'am…"

She butted her shoulder into mine as she stalked out of the door.

Several moments after she left I called out lamely after her.

"Okay!"

"Sounds good!"

"We're on the same team now!"

"Saren beware!"

Lord, what did I sign up for?

...

**Thus ends part one of my journey. Will Ash figure out I'm a phony? Will I ever be ready to join Shepard's team? Will Garrus ever work that pole out of his ass? Find out (or not) in part two of _Psych!_**


End file.
